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Ripples From My Mane by Gwydion78

Anonymous Commission

Chapter 3

The tiger exhaled, delirious, sagging against the earth, his body awash with delights he was not aware it was capable of. He hadn't expected this honor, truthfully, nor to be referred to by his title rather than his name, but he could feel divine-blessed strength flowing into his body, his muscles tightening, mind swimming with techniques for the hunting of prey that could easily be applied to war, but it was in the background, as the forefront of his mind was preoccupied with the bliss of orgasm.

Printus could remember the day the priests of Urion came to his family's home, dressed in leather clothing, claimed from hunted kills unlike the woven fabrics that were popular in the Tigron Empire. He'd grown up with stories of the lion god and how his clan was taught to hunt, and how the First Akai was granted the highest honor, a place at the god's side, and elevated to the home of the Sky'wen Cru'danna. Shortly after coming of age, he'd taken up sculpting, apprenticing in his village, hoping to create statues for various temples and shrines to the other gods, but he'd always concentrated on Urion for his practice pieces. The lion was always nude, literally chiseled muscle, an endowment worthy of a god. That he had nine figurines of Urion in various erotic poses made it occur to his family that he was Akaian, and so the sect was contacted.

He'd been taken from his home and taught the ways of war, of the sword and shield and proper maintenance of armor. He trained with those who didn't follow Akai, but respected the Empire's patron, and made friends among those who did follow the First. His first kill was in a skirmish with the Ursonian Nation along the border, the bears having encroached with a settlement they claimed was their rightful land, and a common insult from the Ursonians often referred to those who followed Akai. It was such an insult that drove Printus to slice a bear's neck instead of offering quarter. He felt sick afterward, but proud he was able to keep it down.

As the years went by he rose through the ranks, aiding villages that had forgotten Urion, shrines built and villagers helped to remember the rituals of the lion god. Those who followed Akai were given special treatment, as was the tenet handed down by Urion himself centuries ago. The Lupran, after four campaigns, finally accepted the Tigron's offer of friendship, while the Vulpes eventually relinquished their claims that it was their nation that originally founded the religion, and that their forebear, Gren, had first met Urion when he'd come from above.

He had over ten thousand under his command when he finally strode into the Great Temple and knelt before the forty-foot statue of his Empire's patron god, proudly displaying his arousal at his deity, as was expected of Akaians. The priests had claimed visions that Urion himself had chosen him as his new Akai, and that he would carry the great honor of going to Urion's Grove and beseeching him for his divine aid against the Ursonians.

And now, he was on his hands and knees, the god on top of him, ramming his ass with his godly phallus again and again and again. His armor was cast aside, but he had already outgrown it, the Urion having blessed him with great strength, as he did the First Akai, and great stature as well as great virility. He was easily the rival of one of the bears now, even unarmed, but it was difficult to focus on his original request, his body too wracked with the holy pleasures Urion gave him again and again.

Printus watched the sun rise and set and rise and set three times through before the god finally abated, pulling himself free, the tiger collapsing in a heap. "Th-thank you, Great Urion, for your blessed gifts and..." He almost giggled like a kitten in the afterglow, but pitied his harem of lovers back in the capital. None would be able to satisfy him ever again. "Have you thought on your favored Empire's request, Eternal One?"

"I have little memory of the Ursonians, but I do remember they sent offerings and lorekeepers with no outlandish requests. What have they done to deserve my animosity?" Urion himself was even heaving a bit, surprised at how pent up he'd gotten, how driven his bestial mating instincts were to find a tight hole and fill it full of cubs, but he hadn't exactly been seeking new mates. To do so would disservice Akai's memory. But his mind felt closer to clear than it had been in... How long had it been? There was an Empire now? They were killing each other in *his name*? "What have you done, Printus?"

It appeared he'd made the tiger rather strong, and he'd caught himself calling Printus Akai far too many times as he mounted him again and again, but he didn't want that to come across as condoning the slaughter of other races just to impress him.

"The Tigron Empire has restored your glory, Great One. All of the races, save the Ursonians, march under our banner, worship at shrines and in temples dedicated to your greatness. The bears resist us, and even with our combined strength, we cannot defeat them without your blessing and aid." Printus struggled back into a kneeling position, averting his eyes.

"I don't want another race butchered, Printus, especially not in my name. If you were truly considered to be like Akai, your people would know that."

"But the Ursonians, they are responsible for the death of the Akai! They must be-"

"They're *what*?" His voice boomed. "My Akai died at peace, with me. No Ursonian was anywhere near..." He blinked, remembering soon after, in his grief, a lorekeeper had approached with an offering of stories, only to be roared at to leave and never return, that his Akai was dead and he had no need for foolish stories. An Ursonian lorekeeper. "The bears were the first to learn that Akai was dead."

The tiger hmmphed at that. "A long told lie of the bears. All the nations heard your roar that night, your anger at the Ursonians. It is obvious he killed the First Akai, and only the First One's mercy allowed his killer to be spared your wrath. But the Empire will bring your wrath now, Urion, we will exact your vengeance and restore the glory of the First Akai!"

"No. No, you will not." He could feel his anger burning in his heart, literally burning, his claws feeling sharper, teeth longer, skin tougher, his scars more pronounced. "I will not allow a people to be slaughtered in my name over a misunderstanding. I would speak with them first."

"They are heretics, Great Urion! They-"

He placed his massive paw over the tiger's mouth. "Are you presuming to decide my opinions, Printus? I can rescind my gift from you quite easily." He ran his claws over the tiger's firm muscles, the feline shuddering at his touch both from arousal and fear.

"N-no, Great Urion. I won't speak out of turn again. I will send a missive to the Ursonians, requesting you send an emissary." The tiger trembled, and, presumptuously, kissed his chest, and then further down as he sunk to his knees. The lion's body was already responding despite the anger that still burned inside him. He knew that Akai wouldn't want him to dwell on such things, but he couldn't stop being so... so *mad*. It was like the entire world wanted him to be that way, to continue roaring his rage at the heavens. Even now, though he knew he was in the right, making... "peace" with these supposed heretics ruffled his fur the wrong way.

A god of war. *That's* what they saw him as. Was that why he couldn't let go of his anger? Were his people influencing his mind, his behavior, his wants? His... desire to push into the eager mouth of the tiger? Well, if he was considered the guardian of gay males, the "Akaians" as they were called, it was probably assumed he liked guys. Akai, well, it wasn't just because he had a tight hole and was there. He'd just stopped thinking of Akai as male after a while, instead as a companion, an advisor, someone to teach how to hunt, someone who knew how to make his body sing with the most divine delights he could...

"Akai..." He closed his eyes, imagining the his tiger on his knees, playfully licking his nuts or dragging his rough tongue over his tip to tease him. It was normally just preamble to him mounting Akai, but occasionally the tiger would do his job too well and end up with a mouthful of his seed, his face splattered as he made low purr-like sounds, drinking the lion down and...

He opened his eyes to see Printus sucking and gulping greedily at his penis as he came in the tiger's mouth. The tiger's musculature bulged out further, veins visible through his fur, bones crackling as inches were added to his frame, Printus nude, now, as his armor would no longer fit him. He pulled off the god's phallus, dazed, mewling like a cub and gazing upward at Urion. "I understand, Great Urion. I will honor the First Akai, a sage of wisdom, and seek out an emissary." He ran his paws over his body, moaning, "I... I could see his greatness, his strength, his will, his restraint. I will be worthy of my title, Eternal One."

***

The snare had been made in the traditional way. Better methods had been developed over the generations, but trapping the bitrr'ats was never truly about the food. The snare needed to be made just so, etched wooden charms woven into the fibers, prayers said over it. The ritual hunt was considered simple, something that cubs did when they were old enough to understand the weight, how their people were taught to do more than just fish. There were more complex rituals to show devotion, but traditionally, this was the most sincere.

Trenas knelt by the trap, exhaling, ensuring the tension was perfect, even though he hadn't done this since before Fruw and him... He shook his head, that had been over for a while now, and there was no use dwelling on it. At least they'd never had a cub together, that would've complicated things too greatly.

Fruw had understood, at least. She hadn't in the beginning, of course. Most males who followed the First Lorekeeper were aware of their devotion just after reaching adulthood, some even before that, but there were those like him who, late in life, found the bravery to admit to themselves that they were like Wise Akai. Mates were often shocked, those who found anger in the revelation were often more angry that they had past the time to find suitable mates. Fruw had been the same way, but that she was still in her fertile years lessened the strain. In the end, she understood, it was all he could ask, and she wished him luck on the Path of Akai.

The Ursonian Nation's position on Akai was simple, he was the companion of the Cunning God, Urion, and the god's decree that those like Akai were protected was followed. Males could take other males as companions, not mates, but it had been so long the two terms were practically synonymous. In the eyes of Ursonian law, they pairings were equal in every fashion, companion ceremonies were even allowed, even with Akaians of other nations.

The knot wasn't quite right. He huffed softly as he restarted it. The snare had to be perfect.

After parting ways with Fruw, he'd journeyed to a temple in a most cosmopolitan town, those of many nations stopping to offer devotions to the Cunning God, those most followed his more warlike aspect thanks largely to the efforts of the Tigron. Ursonians weren't barred from the temples, but he was used to dirty looks, muttered insults that were archaic variants on the word for traitor. Being Akaian was his only protection, truly, though the non-Tigron priests were more accepting. Well, tolerant at least.

A Equan priest eventually relented and allowed him to confess his uncertainty, that he wasn't sure if he truly felt the path of Akai, or if he'd simply been afraid of fathering a cub with a mate he didn't truly love. After several rituals, in private, he was certain he was on the correct path. The priest told him to go to the sacred wood and perform the devotion of the bitrr'at snare, to remember that the Cunning One was not simply about his protection of Akai.

There. Perfect. He stood, and backed away from the snare. Bitrr'ats had been hunted nearly to extinction over the years, always part of ritual offerings that always went untaken. With the war going on, the population had dropped even more. It was suggested to adjust the snare to simply trap the creature, not kill it, and free it afterwards, but the amount of work required to accomplish that deterred most.

Most of his people had retreated behind the Ursonian border to prepare for the coming war, as it wasn't safe for a bear to be out on his own. The Tigron had decided that Akaians could kill other Akaians without violating Urion's decree, so even that wouldn't protect him anymore, but here, in the sacred wood, he would be safe at least. None would dare spilling the blood of an Akaian near the holy groves.

"Ursonian."

He sagged. Maybe not. Trenas turned to the source of the voice and, had a bit of trouble thinking clearly. A Tigron was standing near his snare, and Trenas was no warrior, so the possibility of being killed was definite. On the other paw, the tiger was nude, tall, incredibly well muscled, and blessed with definite virility that made the bear weak in the knees.

"I see you are Akaian." The tiger folded his arms, hmmphing softly as he watched the bear trying not to ogle the body gifted to him. At his size, though, an Ursonian or Equan would likely be the only ones that could satisfy him, so he found himself looking at the bear appreciatively as well.

"Surprised that my people allowed me to live?" Trenas had to regain control of himself. A Tigron would just as likely snap his neck while mating him. "We are not as... violent... as some may think. Or as some are."

"I would think an Ursonian would choose his words better, given who he's speaking to."

"You wouldn't *dare* attack me here."

"But you would have to leave eventually. All know to leave this wood before the moon grows full and Great Urion mourns. There would be no violation to kill you once you left." Printus closed his eyes. "No, that is not why I am here."

"The Ursonians had no part in the death of the Wise Akai!" The bear showed his teeth, his claws.

The tiger held up a paw. "I know."

"Of *course* your people know, but you twist the tales and stories to justify your... your... *butchering* of my people! You claim to glorify the name of Great Urion, but you shame the Cunning One with every life you take."

The tiger nodded once. "I know. Great Urion has... I am now aware of my Empire's... missteps." The feline stepped toward him. "He seeks an emissary of your people, to inform him of the plight of the Ursonians so he may make a decision on whether to grant the Tigron his blessing." He stroked a clawtip through Trenas's chestfur. "I suspect he would prefer an Akaian. Your people still revere the First?"

The bear nodded, feeling the tiger's muscles, the scent in the air of heady arousal. "The Wise Akai was the first lorekeeper, talespinner, storyteller. We had little in the way of priests, but we still tell the stories of him." He found himself pushed down into the grass, the tiger atop him, their muzzles rubbing together gently. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have never tasted a scent like yours." The feline buried his nose in the bear's neck, sniffing deeply. "I would think the Ursonians knew of Akaian ritual. Why are you not tasting my scent?"

"I..." He rumbled an aroused growl as the tiger nipped at his neck, teasing. "I only recently found the Wise One's path. A priest sent me here to perform the ritual of the snare."

The tiger grinned toothily. "It would appear you have caught me."

At that, the bear rolled them both onto the tiger's back, the feline growling appreciatively. "You want us... to mate? Here? Now? I've only just met you. How do I know you won't kill me?"

"Your scent is *intoxicating*, Ursonian..."

"Trenas."

"I am Printus." He kissed the bear softly. "Will you be Urion, or Akai?"

Trenas felt his loins surge as he leaned in to inhale the tiger's scent, trembling at the lightning bolt of sensation that struck him. Almost drunkenly, he sloppily kissed the tiger, pulling his claws along his breeches to shed them, rub his maleness against the tiger's. "You smell like... Great Urion, you smell like..."

The tiger nodded, needfully, aiding the bear in shedding his clothing. "A mate. It smells so... You are Ursonian, I am Tigron, your scent should not be..." He arched his back powerfully. "Urion or Akai, please, make your choice."

The bear was reeling, he'd only met the tiger, but he was certain he wanted that scent close to him every day for the rest of his life. And it was a *Tigron*, and the name... General Printus? The leader of the Akaian Legion? He couldn't, not with that... that *butcher*!

"Akai, you will be my Akai..." But he couldn't stop himself. He couldn't resist that scent, as the tiger could apparently not resist his own, the tiger turning onto his stomach and moving his tail out of the way. The general's rump was inviting, deep, tight, and pushing into him was like standing before the Sky'wen Cru'danna themselves and being showered in their praise. "Printus... Printus, what you've done..."

"Shhhh... I am your Akai now. And I will not be the Printus you fear, not while..." He rrowled deeply as the bear hilted inside him. "I thought no male could satisfy me after... Great Urion, forgive me, but you feel better... Take me, Trenas. Now."

He moved harder, thrust faster, nipped ant bit at the back of the tiger's neck, nuzzled and licked the massive muscled back of the general as his thighs slapped a striped ass that felt forged from steel. The rituals with the Equan priest had been enjoyable, truly, but he had never felt more on the Path of Akai than he did at that moment, Urion to Printus's Akai. He felt himself rush in the general, sagging as his body sealed their fates together with splatters of his semen.

The scent of the tiger only grew more irresistible, part of his being as he pulled out and tumbled into the grass, chest heaving, the grove smelling of their union as the tiger climbed on top of him. "And now, my Trenas, you will become my Akai..."

They traded positions through the night, again and again, drunk on each other's scent, the power of the wood, the proximity of the grove, their revering of Akai and Urion. Their bodies always seemed to find stamina, even after hours had passed, their scents so mingled their mateship could not be questioned.

They kissed, held each other until the dawn, the first light of the suns bringing an end to their haze of lovemaking. Trenas looked toward the brightening horizon with apprehension. "Printus, the suns are rising."

"We have some time yet." He turned the bear's gaze away from the emerging orbs. "For a while longer you are my Urion, I your Akai. Let me have another moment where I'm not the one you fear."

"You *are*, though, Printus. How many Ursonians have died by your hand?"

"Too many, too many for me to ever hold you with clean hands, but Great Urion has opened my eyes. I have seen how I've betrayed the First Akai, how the Empire has turned from the wisdom that tempered our patron god's anger. He sent me to find him an emissary of the Ursonians, and I found you." The tiger nuzzled the bear a bit longer, the light of day reaching into the wood. "You must go to him, while I return to the Empire and bring them Urion's word, his decree that the violence must stop, that he will not brook a race being slaughtered in his name." He rested his head against the bear's. "And then I will come and find you, and be your Akai for the rest of my days."

"I want to believe that, Printus-"

He was silenced by a kiss, the tiger smiling gently. "Then believe it. You have my vow. I will find you, Trenas, and we will honor Great Urion properly."

"Promise me, Printus. No more killing."

"My blade shall never taste blood again. I will deserve the title I was given, I will be your Akai."

They embraced, and parted before the light reached them, Printus beginning his trek to the east, toward the Empire and the Grand Temple, Trenas to the west, toward Urion's sacred grove. The grove was empty when he arrived, as it had been for centuries, but he had to believe that Printus had truly met the Cunning One, that he had been gifted with his beauty and strength just in the last day. He knelt before an ancient log, heavily worn, where offerings had been placed centuries before, immune to the ravages of time, and began the words that he'd heard in so many stories before.

"O lord of the hunt, the Ursonian clan grows restless, and seeks to rejoice in tales of your hunts of the great elk Bambus, to partake of the wisdom of the Wise Akai, and offer you the tales of your people in return." He didn't expect a response. Lorekeepers had been sent to that very spot for ages, always returning with disappointment.

"I know you're here, Trenas." The lion stepped into view, the bear averting his gaze.

"You... You know my name, Cunning One?"

The god chuckled. "I believe every creature with ears for miles around knows your name, given how loudly Printus was shouting it when he came. Opposites attract, I suppose. I wasn't expecting him to find someone in my front yard, nor for the two of you to..." He sniffed the air, and almost staggered. "That... is an interesting scent."

"I should hate him, Great Urion. He's... he's a butcher, the head of a legion that seeks to kill my people but..."

"But some things we can't help, I know." The lion placed his hand on the bear's shoulder. "I don't really understand... mating... to be honest, but then it's not my purview. I'm the one that taught you all to hunt, it seems, and somewhere along the way you all made me your god of war."

"Will he stop the killing, Eternal One? Can you see?"

Urion felt a bit off at the question, as while he wanted to say he couldn't see the future, he just had a... feeling... about it, an instinct, a gutpunch too strong to ignore. "Any killing that occurs, he won't be part of it, that I know for sure." The bear looked visibly relieved, but the god had a faraway look in his eyes, as if seeing ghostly images of tigers, bears, foxes, horses, coming in and out of the grove. Some were dressed as he remembered, others looked different. He tried to see Printus, mostly out of curiosity, and saw several apparitions that looked like him. One was locked in battle, another was asleep in a bed, not alone, the third was... well, the tiger was still muscled as heavily as he'd made him, but... he had a gut on him.

When he looked down on Trenas, he saw a similar array of reflections, even with the swollen middle at the end. It took him a few seconds to realize that one of the images of Trenas was talking to him, the one that was there with him in that moment. "...but I think maybe... He *could* be my Akai and..." Trenas shook his head. "I won't bother you with such trivial matters. You sought an emissary of my people. I will attend to whatever concerns you have."

"Your people were not responsible for Akai. I know that. I'm trying to make the Tigron aware of that as well. It seems a foolish reason to slaughter your people, though."

"We still revere you as the lord of the hunt, Cunning One. We are regarded by other followers of Urion as backwards, behind the times, staunch traditionalists. We simply sought to not embrace your anger, rather to revere Wise Akai and follow his... nobler path." The bear looked away.

"So you're following Akai, not me."

"No! No, Great One, no, we follow Urion, we simply follow the nobler Urion that was tempered by Wise Akai, the Urion that gave us stories and was eager to hear our own, that taught us valuable lessons in the tales of his hunts of Bambus about life itself and understanding you better."

The god smiled weakly. "I feel I was a better person when he was around, as well."

"Through your stories, we learned it is better to be a noble hunter than a mere predator, to raise ourselves above the beasts we grew from. It is a philosophy that the Tigron... do not agree with. The god of war rewards glory, honor, valor, strength, and they seek his favor. For the two sects to reconcile..."

"It would take a miracle, but outside of going into the world and telling them they're wrong, or them seeing what I did to Printus to lend him credibility, I don't know what else could convince them that I'm involved and I want both sides to find peace, I... I..." Urion's eyes were glazing over again, beholding Trenas and Printus in different places, walking similarly, leaning backward, awkward, as if they were carrying a heavy weight, which was understandable considering the size of their bellies, but oddly no other part of them seemed touched by fat and...

Were they...

He leaned in, sniffing at the Trenas who was there, drinking in the deep, intertwined scent of him and the tiger, the many, many, many matings, but something else... the scent of someone with child. Had he done that? He'd mounted the tiger himself so many times, his leonine instincts wanting to breed a hole so terribly... Had he... impregnated Printus, and unwittingly given the tiger the ability to seed his lover?

The lion placed his hand on the bear's smooth belly, almost leaping back as he felt the faintest pulse of life inside. "Trenas... You are... Printus has..."

The bear looked down at his belly, confused until he leapt to the appropriate conclusions. "I am... with cub? But I am male, I'm male! How could..." He looked at the god, and received his answer. "And Printus is the father. A Tigron and Ursonian cub, that is... It is not possible!"

"You would think that, but I can feel it in there, a tiny, precious life growing inside you, just as Printus has in him." The only question was if the child was his, or Trenas's. He personally hoped for the bear, as he could remember there were stories about how things often didn't work well for the children of gods, not to mention he didn't know how to handle being both a father. "If there is any hope for peace, Trenas, you carry it with you now. And your people..." He smiled. "I like how they want to see me. Keep remembering Akai's wisdom. I will try to do the same."

The next full moon arrived in a blur, but this time... This time he closed his eyes, and remembered Akai telling him stories, dramatizing and embellishing his hunts of Bambus, their long talks about other worlds and what they might be like, some details he'd come up with seeming so... familiar, but escaping his memory. He'd sing some songs in a language that had been only for he and his Akai, that he'd had to explain the meaning of again and again. The night passed with no roar, no anger, and so did the next full moon, and the one after that. He slept with relative peace, relative because he could not fully allow himself to let Akai go, to imagine another taking his place, could not consider that another could advise him as well, keep his anger in check.

But there was no anger when a male strode into his grove, dressed in finery of exquisite fabrics, his face implied a heritage of most tiger, but with a well-kept mane, the male's scent vaguely familiar. Vaguely like his own.